In their preseason opener on Saturday, the Buffalo Bills suffered a 33-6 loss to the Chicago Bears. Star quarterback Josh Allen played for two drives, completing 2-of-3 passes for 22 yards before being replaced by Mitch Trubisky and Shane Buechele. While on the field, Allen targeted presumed starting receivers Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir. After their exit, the Bills struggled, accumulating only 106 passing yards for the rest of the game. Following the Bills’ passing difficulties on Saturday, the AFC East club will work out a former starting wide receiver on Monday.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Buffalo Bills are working out wideout Damiere Byrd on Monday. Byrd spent the past two years with the Atlanta Falcons and has started 28 games in his career. The Bills lost their dynamic pass-catching duo of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis this offseason.
Buffalo Bills: Working Out Longtime NFL Starter
On Monday, the Buffalo Bills will run former starting wide receiver Damiere Byrd through a workout with the potential of adding him to the active roster. Byrd, an undrafted free agent in 2016, landed with the Carolina Panthers as a rookie. After playing only one game as a rookie, Byrd posted a ten-reception, 105-yard campaign in 2018, including returning seven kicks for 229 yards and a touchdown. Byrd played a reserve role with the Panthers in 2019 before becoming integral to the Arizona Cardinals offense in 2020. Byrd finished his only season with the Cardinals, tallying 32 receptions for 359 yards and a touchdown.
Bills Working Out WR Damiere Byrd https://t.co/vVPnDgEtML
— NFLTradeRumors.co (@nfltrade_rumors) August 12, 2024
Byrd’s best statistical season came in 2021 as a member of the New England Patriots. The South Carolina product collected 47 receptions, 604 yards, and one touchdown. Byrd started 14 of 16 games with the Patriots. The five-foot-nine, 175-pound receiver disembarked for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, where he has spent the past two seasons. Byrd recorded 13 receptions, 268 yards, and two touchdowns in 15 games, including four starts. Byrd has also returned three punts during that stretch.
Buffalo Bills: Eyeing Wide Receiver Depth
With the loss of wideouts Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, the Buffalo Bills continue to construct their receiver core. Khalil Shakir expects to slide into the top receiver role, while rookie Keon Coleman and journeyman Curtis Samuel will play significant roles. However, the backend of the receiver room remains fluid, with the Bills working out Damiere Byrd on Monday.
Outside Coleman, Samuel, and Shakir, the Bills house Mack Hollins, Chase Claypool, Tyrell Shavers, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, among others. Claypool missed the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears with a toe injury, while Hollins also sat out with a leg injury. 2023 third-round pick Justin Shorter and former Denver Broncos top draft pick KJ Hamler also reside on Buffalo’s depth chart. Hamler caught one of two targets for nine yards in the preseason opener. Meanwhile, Shorter remains out while rehabbing from a hamstring injury that placed him on the IR last season.
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